As a parent, you enter – or rather re-enter – the World of Toys.
One of my favourite rediscoveries has been Playmobil. For those who aren't familiar, this is a range of plastic figures and playsets that allow kids to play at all sorts of things, from construction to hospitals. They're a bit smaller than your typical action figure (that's because of the 1970s oil crisis, trivia fans) and so they're just the right size for little hands.
I loved Playmobil as a kid, and Flea loves it almost as much. She can be entertained by herself for an entire morning with her Playmobil figures, lost in her own little world of dinosaurs, pirates and Egyptian skeletons.
However, if you're new to the world of Playmobil, let me be your guide. Let me tell you not to buy that little set where the two robbers steal the jewels because it has an unbelievably annoying alarm that goes off every time you move the toybox. Let me be the one o tell you that if you buy the lovely Playmobil hospital, you're going to lose eight hours of your life and possibly create life-long feuds with your partner as you try to assemble it.
Over at The Great Toy Guide, we have put together these reviews of 12 best-selling Playmobil playsets, for anyone who might be considering investing. If you're responsible for buying presents for a child aged 4 or over this Christmas, I urge you to click on the link above and go check them out – after all, where else can you buy your child a toy jewel thief or sarcophagus?
